I known nothing of their graduate programs, but University of Oregon (Eugene) and Oregon State University (Corvallis) are located very close to many recreational activities including Three Sisters Wilderness, Crater Lake, Deschutes National Forest, etc. Mt. Bachelor is a couple of hours away and is suppose to be a great ski/snowboard mountain. If you're into mountaineering, you have many of the Cascade peaks in Oregon, such as Mt. Hood, Three Sisters, and Mt. Bachelor. Both colleges are also within two or so hours of the coast.

As for Northern California where I live, Chico State has much to offer in outdoor recreation within an hour, with serious backpacking available three or so hours away in the Sierras and Trinity Alps. Humboldt State is right in the middle of the redwoods, and is within two or three hours of the Trinity Alps. There is a huge drug culture there though, and if you're not into that Arcata is not a very nice place to live.

You could look at schools in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to consider proximity to Yellowstone.

Various colleges in central California such as Sacramento State, Fresno State, and UC Merced will provide access to the Sierras, Fresno State probably being the closest to Yosemite National Park.